In performing a print job management function of a printer, a print job name or a username is displayed on a liquid crystal display (hereinafter simply referred to as LCD) mounted on the printer. The print job name and the username displayed by the print job management function are sent out together with print data from a transmission source apparatus, for example, a personal computer (hereinafter simply referred to as PC) and the like.
A PC comprises a printer driver, which is a program interface between its application program and a printer, assisting in exchanging data therebetween. The printer driver comprises a function of registering a print job name and a username. An operator can input the print job name and the username from a registration screen (dialogue box) displayed on a display section such as an LCD mounted on the PC to register them. In the registration, the operator can input any given information (characters and symbols) to set the print job name and the username.
When a code system of characters established on the data-transmitting side (the PC side) is different from that of characters set on the data-receiving side (the printer side), the print job name or the username transmitted from the PC is not displayed correctly on the printer. In other words, so called “garbled characters” occurs. For example, where an input operation is executed by a code system of katakana (Japanese syllabary) in the PC, the character code of katakana associated with the input character is transmitted to a printer. However, where the code system set in the printer is a code system of special characters in western countries, received data are read by the code system of special characters in western countries, resulting in an event that characters (those constituting a print job name and a username) output in a printer are garbled.
JP-A-05-210629 has disclosed a technology on a display control system. In a case where a message possessed by a host computer is displayed on a display section of a terminal unit of a user, the message is displayed by converting the message to a language in compliance with the terminal unit. The display control system selects a language in compliance with a terminal unit in outputting the message to the terminal unit and displays the message by the selected language. The host computer comprises a character code system storing unit for storing character code systems (code systems) that can be displayed on a display section. Where a character code system that displays a selected language is stored in the character code system storing unit, a message displayed on the display section is converted to a character code system stored in the character code system storing unit and output on the terminal unit. In contrast, where the character code system that displays a selected language is not stored in the character code storing unit, the message is output on the terminal unit as an original message that is stored in the host computer (original character code system). Accordingly, it is possible to avoid an event that the message output from the host computer and displayed on the display section becomes garbled characters.
However, JP-A-05-210629 has a drawback that garbled characters occur in a case where an original message stored in a host computer (message before conversion to a language in compliance with a terminal unit) is output on the terminal unit. This is because a character code system of the original message output from the host computer is not necessarily displayed on a display section of the terminal unit.
In general, a terminal unit is an independent unit and capable of setting a character code system displayed on a display section, irrespective of the relationship with a host computer. Therefore, for example, in storing plural character code systems, the character code system of the terminal unit may be changed, depending on an operator usability. Upon such change, a message converted by the host computer according to the character code system stored in a character code system storing unit will result in garbled characters when displayed on the display section of the terminal unit.
An aspect of the present invention provides a print control apparatus capable of displaying characters and symbols displayed on a printing apparatus in a display mode, which is input on a print control apparatus (a transmission source of the characters and symbols), a control program of the print control apparatus and a printing system.